The invention relates to the automatic manufacturing of articles by use of computer aided design and control and more particularly to the automatic reconstruction of a three-dimensional design created by aid of a computer machine in the form of a physical three-dimensional object.
Heretofore, computer aided design (CAD) systems have been known. With the aid of a computer, an operator is able to design a two or three dimensional object and display the design on a screen or on paper. The computer aids in the overall design as called for by the operator according to pre-existing design parameters and computer software. One such computer aided design system is manufactured by Vector Automation of Baltimore, Maryland as CADMAX-II.
It has also been known to control a mechanical operation or manufacturing process by means of a computer such as in robotics. The robot or remote gripper jaw is manipulated by means of a preprogrammed computer to carry out a specific operation or task. For example, the milling of metal parts to produce a simple article by use of a computer aided milling machine has been widely applied. One such computer aided milling machine is that manufactured by the Cincinnati Milicron Company.
Other examples of computer aided mechanical operations include the spray painting of objects by means of a computer controlled spray gun arm which moves a spray gun in a predetermined pattern in order to repeatedly and uniformly paint objects in an assembly line. For example, the Thermwood Corporation of Richardson, Texas manufactures a computerized industrial robot for painting called the Paintmaster.
The three-dimensional reproduction of designs from photographs and grid charts has been heretofore known in the fields of photo-sculpture as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,988,520 and 1,382,978.
However, while the above can automatically carve or mill out a three-dimensional object from a larger stock of material, none of the above systems or processes have the capability of producing a three-dimensional object automatically in response to the computer aided design of the object wherein the object is built up and constructed from mass material to reproduce the design.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to automatically reproduce a physical three-dimensional object which has been designed by the aid of a computer from the data file of the computer.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a process and system wherein a three-dimensional object can be constructed by building up particulate matter from a unique origination seed in response to a computer data file of the design.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an automatic process and system for manufacturing a three-dimensional object from particulate matter wherein particle directing beams direct and fix the location of particulate matter in accordance with a predetermined coordinate system and data file of coordinate information corresponding to the design created and generated on a computer machine.